Franklin-Christoph Model 50 Grandis: A Large Desk Pen with a Special Nib

Introduction

The Franklin-Christoph Model 50 Grandis is a larger fountain pen that leans toward desk-pen territory. This particular unit came with a nib ground by nibmeister Mr Nagahara into a 0.9 mm broad stub, which immediately sets it apart from most steel-nibbed pens at this level. With a $200 price tag, it is positioned as a distinctive writer rather than a bargain, and this review looks at how it is built, how it writes, and where its trade-offs lie.

Who this product is for

This is a pen for people who like larger, more unusual writing instruments and who plan to use them at a desk rather than pocket them daily. If you enjoy nibs with line variation and are tempted by the idea of a custom grind, the Model 50 Grandis offers that option in a package that looks unlike a standard cigar-shaped pen.

Design and Build

The Grandis is a large pen, long rather than thick, and it clearly stands out next to something like a Pilot Metropolitan. The shape is interesting: a wide end on the cap that narrows down, a straight barrel, and a small button-like shape at the finial end. Flat facets on the cap act as roll stops, and on a genuinely flat surface they work perfectly. (A slight roll seen on a slightly warped test surface was a background issue, not a fault of the pen.)

The pen will not post, so if you like writing with the cap on the back, this is not the model for you. There is no clip, the Franklin-Christoph logo sits on the finial and on the bevels the brand is known for, and the cap is marked Franklin-Christoph 50. The section is a fairly standard Franklin-Christoph shape that feels comfortable in the hand, with threads positioned at the front of the section rather than under the fingers, which makes for a clean look and a comfortable grip.

The pen comes with its own pouch, plus documentation including a card explaining the Nagahara nib grind. That pouch matters, because a pen this size will not fit most standard pen cases or pouches. It was nominated in 2022 for Pen World International magazine’s best writer award.

Nib and Filling System

The nib is a steel broad, ground by Mr Nagahara into a 0.9 mm broad stub, with a plastic feed and the Franklin-Christoph logo. Filling is cartridge-converter, and the branded converters and cartridges are a nice touch even if they are optional. Since the pen is all acrylic, it is presumably possible to eyedropper it if you prefer maximum capacity.

Writing Performance

The nib work is what truly stands out. This is a genuine stub: it lacks the hard crispness of an italic, with slightly rounded corners that produce pleasant line variation while remaining well suited to cursive writing. With Waterman Serenity Blue, the nib wrote wetly, with no skips or hard starts, and produced natural line variation from the ground shape alone, no pressure required.

Keeping a stub aligned to the paper takes a little attention, but the tuning is excellent and the overall writing feel is very pleasant. It is easy to see why someone would pay extra for a custom grind like this. Stubs also add a certain calligraphic flair to everyday handwriting, which makes them fun to use.

Reverse writing, as is typical with stub and italic nibs, is not successful here. If you want a finer line, simply order a fine nib instead.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The size is the defining trade-off. The Grandis is comfortable and fun as a desk pen, but it is hard to transport, and the included pouch, while welcome, exists precisely because standard cases will not fit it. The barrel’s shape invites posting, but the cap will not post, which some may find frustrating.

At $200 it is not a cheap pen: an acrylic body, a steel nib, and a cartridge-converter system do not add up to the most economical package on paper. What you are paying for is the distinctive design, which reliably acts as a conversation starter, and the option of a Nagahara grind, which genuinely elevates the writing experience.

One love-hate detail: the threads at the front of the section are fairly large, and when filling with bottled ink via a converter, they catch ink. Have something absorbent like a tissue on hand to clean them, otherwise ink migrates to the section, into the cap, and eventually onto your fingers. The positioning does keep the threads out of your grip while writing, so it is a deliberate comfort compromise.

Buying advice

If you want a distinctive large pen primarily for use at a desk, and the idea of a custom broad stub appeals to you, the Model 50 Grandis is an easy recommendation: the nib in particular is a very pleasant writer. If you need a pocketable daily carry, post your caps, or dislike cleaning threads after bottled-ink fills, look at smaller or more conventional models instead.

Conclusion

The Franklin-Christoph Model 50 Grandis is a fun, unusual desk pen with real character, and its custom-ground 0.9 mm broad stub nib is the star of the show. It is not the most economical pen at $200, and the ink-catching threads and non-posting cap are genuine annoyances, but as a distinctive, comfortable writer with genuine line variation, it earns its place on the desk.